Food Diary: Arrival in New York

Let's start catching up on the food in New York.  Back track to the past.

June 12, 2010
2:00 pm, New York
NOMSrade: Duke, Alex Choe

Warning: It is dangerous to watch Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations while you're stuck on an airplane heading towards New York.  Incidentally, Anthony Bourdain was doing a New York episode and he was hitting up all of my favorite spots around town.  Arriving at John F. Kennedy airport, my brother Laijhun and good pal Alex Choe so kindly picked me up and asked if I was hungry.  "2nd Avenue Deli pronto.  I need a pastrami sandwich."

My usual go-to is pastrami on rye slathered with tangy mustard:  Perfection in a sandwich.  But I was inspired by the TV episode and decided to take it to another level with the addition of chopped liver.  Turns out, I still like it simple—the chopped liver made it all so very overwhelming.  The chopped liver was distracting me from my beloved pastrami.

The bucket of refreshingly cold, crispy pickles and pickled tomatoes was casually tossed onto the table by our jovial waitress, soon to be greedily grabbed the moment it landed (the pickles that is, not the waitress).  My usual sides were included: an order of some of the best potato pancakes in New York, potato salad, and a rootbeer.

Unable to decide, Alex  went for the gold and ordered a triple decker sandwich of pastrami, bologne and coleslaw; each layer separated by a padding of rye bread.  MADNESS!  My brother ordered The Heartattack.  More madness.  Is this how King Leonidas of Sparta ate?  “Madness? THIS IS PASTRAMI!”

2nd Avenue Deli.  Still my favorite Jewish Delicatessen for pastrami in all of New York.  See here and here for previous posts about this spot.

2nd Ave Deli
162 E 33rd St
New York, NY 10016
Tel: +1 (212) 689-9000

The Sifty Fifty

Yet another iPhone app for foodies is out.  The Scoop is a free New York iPhone app by the New York Times.  Included in this app is NYTimes restaurant critic, Sam Sifton’s “current 50 favorite restaurants in New York.”  The list will be updated periodically and also includes recommended bars (“The Top Shelf”). 

I would have been more excited for an app like “Bruni’s Best” or “Frank’s Fifty” or “Reservations with Ruth.”  I’m not a big Sifton fan and if you can’t tell, I still miss Frank Bruni and Ruth Reichl big time.

A look at Sifton's current list of favorites isn’t making me any warmer towards him either:

Babbo

Balthazar

Baoguette

Bar Americain

Bar Boulud

Bereket Turkish Kebab House

Blue Smoke

Cabo Rojo

Casa Lever


Casa Mono


Chez Napoleon


Del Posto


Devi
Diner


Eleven Madison Park


Elio’s

Fatty ’Cue


Grand Sichuan

Eastern
Hill

Country Barbecue Market


Il Cantinori


Imperial Palace


Ippudo


Keens Steakhouse


La Caridad 78


La Grenouille


Landmarc


Le Bernardin


Locanda Verde


Madangsui


Marea


Minetta Tavern


Momofuku Ssäm Bar


Motorino
Great

N.Y. Noodletown


Ouest


Pam Real Thai Food


Peasant
Peking Duck House


Per Se

Prime Meats


Prune
Purple Yam


Red Cat


The River Café


Shun Lee Palace


Strip House


Sushi Yasuda


Tanoreen


Veselka


The Waverly Inn

A list of favorites all boils down to personal taste, so I won’t bash too hard on Sifton's top 50 that I mostly disagree with.  But I will bash Sifton a writer.  He isn’t magical, and yes.. magic is exactly what I expect.  ex NYT critics Reichl and Bruni, in their own styles, weave masterpieces out of each and every review.  Whether or not I end up agreeing with their conclusions, they made food critiquing an art.  They helped make the NYTimes’ Dining & Wine section the standard for restaurant critiquing in the English speaking world.

Compare:

Sam Sifton’s review of Ma Peche 

Frank Bruni’s first review of Momofuku Ssam Bar 

Sam Sifton isn’t terrible nor do I hate the guy.  I just get frustrated how he observes and writes like any ol’ food writer.. blogger quality even.  There are times when I feel more inspired by articles on Serious Eats than NYT’s (not that Serious Eats writers are bad--in fact, I love them!  Again, I just hold NYT to god-like standards).  I don’t like how he’s so accessible with his food and exercise journals or interactivity with readers on social networks.  Save that stuff for an autobiography or his post-restaurant critic era.  I’m old fashioned and I only want to hear about the food!  Clearly, I like to put old school NYT’s writers on pedestals. 

Download New York Times’ The Scoop iPhone App here

Gastronommy TV: Cookyn With Mervyn [video]

As promised, here is the full video of Cookyn With Mervyn.  The video was filmed, produced and edited by Mike Foong.  Unfortunately, there were some audio issues during the cooking process so instead of our original intention of sharing some of the recipes, we'll be telling you what the course is about instead!

See here for the original entry about Cookyn with Mervyn.

"My friends Leada and Regina invited me to a group cooking class here in Singapore: Cookyn with Mervyn.  Mervyn taught us tips, tricks and recipes for churroz, prawn cerviche, squid ink paella, chorizo & potatoes and red sangria.  SGD$90 for a full course meal with friends."

Cookyn with Mervyn
273 Thomson Road #04-01 Novena Gardens
(Lift Lobby B)
Singapore 307644

Tel: +65 9099 6231
info@cookyn-with-mervyn.com

MEATOPIA and other upcoming Summer NY Food Events!

MEATOPIA.

The word alone seems magical.  This weekend, over 30 chefs will be gathering on Governor's Island to host one of New York's bigger BBQ festivals.  Using local produce and meat from regional farms, the festival will be supporting the local community and promoting the spirit of sustainability.  There will be tastings, live entertainment and lots of beer by Sixpoint Craft Ales (July is Mayor Bloomberg's proclaimed "Good Beer Month.")

The event is being hosted by [controversial, free loading] writer Josh Ozersky and Good Beer's Jimmy Carbone.  Chefs to look out for include Fatty 'Cue's Robbie Richter and Convivo's Michael White.  Meat suppliers include New York's favorite Pat LaFrieda Meats and Flying Pigs Farm, and part of the proceeds will go to the selected charities Just Foods and Slow Food NYC.  The event will include a BBQ competition in which attendees will get to vote on their favorite piece of flesh.

What: MEATOPIA - BBQ NYC
When: Sunday, July 11, 2010 (raindate July 18, 2010) / 11:30am - 4:30pm
Where: Governors Island, New York Harbour
Cost: FREE entry, but if you want to taste it will cost you anywhere between $25-$150, depending on how many tastings you're going for.
Menu: Meatopia's Menu

ASIAN FEASTIVAL

Queens, New York is finally getting its well-deserved spotlight this September.  Queens is home to some of the best Asian cuisine in all of New York.  As wonderful as most cuisines are in Manhattan, even Chinatown and Koreatown have nothing on Queens in terms of value for money, specialty dishes and quality.

Asian Feastival intends to show some of the best of Queens in a series of tastings, bike tours (awesome idea!), culinary lessons and book signings.  Attendees will learn where to find the best Asian farmers markets, how to understand Southeast Asian cuisine in NY, and the secrets of rice.  Chef appearances include Pichet Ong (Sweet Spot), Lee Ang Wong (Top Chef) and Eddie Huang (Baohaus). 

Asian Feastival is still constructing the rest of its program, so keep up to date with their growing list of restaurants and guest appearances on their website.

What: ASIAN FEASTIVAL

When:  September 6, 2010 / 12:00pm - 5:00pm

Where: Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel (135-20 39th Ave, Queens)

Cost: $55 advance, $60 door
Program: Asian Feastival's Schedule

Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend either event, but if any of you end up attending... please update me with your experiences here on Gastronommy.com or on Gastronommy's Facebook Page!

Thanks Jenn Joo and Mrs. Won for the leads.

Moving out of New York

It has been quiet on Gastronommy and I apologize!  Sadly, an entire week was dedicated to packing up my K-town apartment and preparing my move to Singapore.  I now have one free week left in New York and I'm living it to the fullest.  Since setting foot back in JFK Airport New York, I've been doing my duty as a professional eater.  I promise updates about the past 2-3 weeks soon!  As for why I'm moving to Singapore, details to come on that once I settle down there.

 

The New York list includes Russ & Daughters bagel with lox, 2nd Avenue Deli's pastrami and chopped liver on rye, Shake Shack's Shack Burger and cheese fries, Schnippers' honey milkshake and sloppy joe, Korean gems in Flushing, fancy subs from No.7 Subs, Brooklyn's latin truck vendors at Red Hook Ballfields, Clinton Street Bakery's fabulous blueberry pancakes and more.

 

 Caracas Arepas Bar, New York

And yes, I've gained weight.  There is no way to maintain such an extravagant diet and not gain weight.  Not according to my genes anyway.  Warning: eat like this at your own risk!

In the meantime, see Gastronommy's Facebook Page for some photos of the NOMSrades I've been nomming with.  Tomorrow, I'll be filming another Gastronommy TV episode at a special location in Soho, NY.  Then followed by a late dinner at Mario Batali's Babbo.  It has been an exciting week so far.

What to Eat in Singapore: For the First Time Visitor (Part I)

(Read here for Best Singapore Crabs)
(Read here for Best Brunch Spots in Singapore)

I was going to wait at least a few more months before making any posts specifically about Singapore dining.  I wanted to make sure I tried out every worthwhile eatery in every corner of this Lion City before putting it in print (it's a small country, it almost seemed possible).  

But with friends from all over the world coming to visit Singapore and instead of retyping emails over and over again about my current favorite food stalls, I shall publish my recommended Shiok Eats list for the First Time Visitor.

In great detail, I can vividly recall the first time I tried dishes that were uniquely Singapore years ago.  My first bakuhteh, my first laksa, my first hokkien mee, my first roti prata, my first rojak, my first chili crab, etc..  I also vividly remember my first time going to Mambo Jambo at Zouk, but that's another topic not appropriate for a food blog...(I highly recommend it for my American compadres if you want a glimpse of a bizarre Asian dance party unlike one you've ever seen before!)

I'll save all the details on particular food visits and condense my recommendations to a list for easy viewing.  I'm sure this list will evolve and grow over time as I spend more time in Singapore.  In the meantime, the first timer to Singapore can't go wrong with these recommendations.  I guarantee the food won't disappoint:

Food Diary: Last two weeks in the little red dot (Singapore)

Hawker food included: hokkien char mee (black), hokkien hae mee (white), pontian wonton noodles, Portuguese egg tarts
Restaurants visited: Tippling Club, Mellben Seafood, TWG, Tanjong Beach Club

Photo loaded entry!  Click to read full post.

Gastronommy TV: Sneak Peek [video]

Last month, I mentioned Cookyn with Mervyn and an upcoming video.  Here's a sneak peek of the intro!  Let us know what you think!

Film, edited and produced by Mike Foong

edit:  Here is a link to the full video.

Food Diary: Home cooking (Singapore)

Thurs 3 June 2010

Dinner, Singapore

NOMsrades: Brandon, Adrian, Kimmy, Nikki, Warren, Shupe, Mommy Mah

paella: saffron, chorizo de bilbao, glass prawns, cockles

Long overdue, made dinner for the Mah's!  Getting the proper Spanish ingredients are tough and expensive to get in Singapore, it seems.  Instead, I replaced a lot of ingredients, such as basmati for the paella (thanks to Mervyn for that idea).  

I completely forgot to take photos.  I was a bit rushed on the whole thing since I had a late start.  Luckily, Brandon Lee took some photos of the paella on his iPhone.  Resulting Menu: ricotta cheese dip (not so Spanish, but I didn't have time for my manchego & jamon creation--it'll be for lunch tomorrow), prawn ceviche, seafood & chorizo paella, and roast chorizo & potatoes with thyme.  Kimberly ended up taking over for dessert with a peach and strawberry crumble--thank goodness because she's a brilliant baker and I'm not.  My original menu ended up not taking effect... another time, I guess!

Everything turned out to be edible enough, considering it was my first home attempt at paella.  I just wish I had a cast iron pan so I could get more of that nice thick bottom layer of crispy paella.  The main dish was inspired by Ruth Reichl's paella recipe with some personal twists. It was all gone by the end of the meal, so either it wasn't so bad or they were just starved by the time dinner was served.

Wild Spot Prawn Ceviche with Wild Rocket

(or salmon, Hokkaido scallops, fresh white fish)

adapted from Cookyn with Mervyn

18 spot prawns, peeled and tail intact

2 tbls shallots, chopped

2 tbls jalapeno/green chili, chopped

2 tbls extra virgin olive oil

1 sprig coriander, chopped finely

1 lemon, juiced

2 large limes, juiced

50gm wild rocket

1. Mix all ingredients (except prawns and wild rocket) and season with salt and pepper.

2. Pour marinade over the spot prawns and leave for 15 minutes (longer for scallops).

3. Serve marinated prawns with wild rocket and a final crack of salt and pepper.

Food Diary: Adam Road Food Centre (Singapore)

Monday 31 May 2010
11:30pm Singapore
NOMs Comrade: Adrian

I'm embarrassed to post the hour at which we ate... Late night supper!  I'm currently compiling a "Singapore Eats" list and want to get it posted by next week.  There are a bunch of places I still need to revisit for better photos or a re-taste to double check my choice.  There are only so many meals in a day, so lately there have been a number of extra visits late into the night.  The things I'm starting to do for this site.  Ridiculous.

Unfortunately, the nasi lemak stall I was looking for wasn't even open!  ARGH.
So to console my poor self, I ate something else.  :)

Noo Cheng Adam Road Prawn Noodles: I'm a noodle kind of girl.  I tried Noo Cheng's prawn noodles two weeks ago.  It was good, but definitely not the best I've had in Singapore.  Adam Road seems to be better for Malay food than anything else, but I wasn't in the mood for it.

I had the pork rib noodles, this time with rice noodles (SGD$3).  I could not be bothered with peeling otherwise mediocre prawns.

Coupled with teh tarik (unfortunately, I forget the stall name)

Tek Kee Hot & Cold Desserts: Disgusting pigs we are, we even finished off with a late night dessert.  But I felt less guilty once I noticed that there was a constant lineup of 4-5 people in front of this stall at 1am.  Fellow oinkers.

My first ching teng.  The numerous press articles posted on the stall highlighted their ching teng and its relative cheapness compared to other stalls.  Still, even at SGD$1.50, it's really just a bowl of shaved ice.  Nice profit margins, I imagine.

It's much more simple and modest than other versions of shaved iced I've had (usually drowned in condensed milk, corn, jelly and other goodies).  Still, I enjoyed the bits of dried longan, ginko nuts, clear jelly, and rock sugar flavors.  Looks like I'll have to add ching teng to my Singapore hunting list.

Adam Road Food Centre

2 Adam Road

Singapore, Singapore 

Food Diary: Hainanese Curry Rice (Singapore)

I really don't like when people update their twitter/blog/facebook/myspace with constant posts about EVERY.LAST.LITTLE.THING they put in their mouths.  This might seem a bit silly coming from someone who has created a whole damn blog about food, but I've seen people update with photos of the iced tea they're drinking or the remnants of an insignificant granola bar wrapper.  Frankly, I don't care!  Don't clutter my RSS feed or Twitter with that nonsense!  Those of you who are culprit to these habits should just join Eat.ly and leave it there.

I'm mostly just whining--it doesn't actually offend me that much.  I'm just not into keeping strict hour-by-hour food diaries nor do I have any interest in following NYTimes' Sam Sifton's regularly updated food journal (I can't believe some people who religiously follow it sometimes even criticize his eating habits.. cuh-razy!).

However, there are times when I simply have an unusual meal--for better or for worse-- and want to share it on this blog without going into a full fledged review (takes a lot of time: 1+ time visiting, fact checking, chef chatting, putting it off for a month when the timing is better, etc).  In the recent past, I just uploaded photos of interesting eats as I went along, but that's mostly me being lazy and finding an alternative to constantly having to update this blog when I was busy.  But no more of that.

And so, my occasional and sporadic Food Diary begins now!

Saturday, May 29, 2010
1:45pm Singapore
Temperature: ridiculously hot
NOMs Comrades: Adrian Mah, Guozheng He

Closing time at 2:00pm after a long hot day.  This probably looks really unappealing to some of you, but I assure you, everything was clean and tasty.

Far far away from our stay in Holland Village, we arrived at Pasir Panjang Food Centre.  Our friend, Guozheng insisted that he knew the best Hainanese Curry Rice stall in Singapore.  I didn't really know what Hainanese Curry Rice was, but I assumed it was the usual white rice + chicken curry usual and nothing more.

While many Singaporeans are heading home from Zouk at 2am, the Feng brothers are waking up and preparing their stall for a 4am opening.  

Barley drink, the milky colored beverage is a popular choice amongst local Singaporeans.  I normally go for lime juice, but that day I wanted something less tangy (I love sour flavored drinks) yet still very refreshing.  Barley is that drink.  I love all the soft barley bits at the bottom too!

The food comes speedy fast.  We barely get to our seats before Mr. Feng comes by shooting plates onto our table.  I'm surprised at the number of dishes that endlessly arrive.  I originally imagined Hainan Curry Rice to mean a plate of rice and a bowl of curry, end of story.  Instead, our white rice was covered in a generous dose of curry and charsiu sauce, and the equally important numerous dishes that came out.

Hainanese pork chops, Hainanese sotong curry (squid), Hainanese stewed cabbage, lor bak, crispy fried prawns, tea eggs, fried eggs with sweet soy sauce. 

A delicious melody of ingredients on my rice.  Curry is not usually associated with Chinese cuisine...except for the Hainanese, it seems!

Guozheng and Mr. Feng!  The other Mr. Feng is a bit camera shy and stood off to the side.  

Despite our late arrival when the stall was about to close and the blazingly hot day, Mr. Feng greeted us happily and warmly.  Originally founded by Guozheng's grandfather, the stall has been open for over 40 years after he had first immigrated to Singapore from Hainan, China.  

It was my first experience with Hainanese Curry Rice as you can tell, but considering the numerous awards posted on their stall and my happy belly, Guozheng may just be right in boasting that this is one of the best Hainan Curry Rice stalls in Singapore!  And as with most hawker stalls in Singapore, the price is shioktastically cheap at around SGD$6 for all of that.

Feng Kee Hainanese Curry Rice

209 #01-41 Pasir Panjang Rd

Pasir Panjang Food Centre

Tel: +65 9650-9647

Hours: 4am to 2:30pm

As you can see, there's a "Food Diary" tab that has been added to the site.  I'm having some problems getting my entries to post there separately.  In the meantime, they'll be posted on the regular feed here.

Gastronommy on Facebook Pages

I've been asked a number of times now if Gastronommy has a Facebook page.  The whole thing seemed a bit narcissistic* and redundant since I'm on your RSS feed, twitter or maybe email newsletter.  However, I've finally been sold by Kien from SENATUS.  So, don't leave me hanging out alone on facebook  (it really didn't take that much convincing on his part to be honest).  Join Gastronommy's Facebook page here or click the Facebook box on the right side column of this site!

http://facebook.com/gastronommy

*narcissistic back when it was called "Facebook FAN Page" instead of simply "Facebook Page."  Bah, semantics.

Q+A with Chef Bruce Lim

See this previous entry about my visit to the AFC workshop in Singapore with Bruce Lim!

What inspired you to become a chef?  

My grandmother, she always had time to cook for the family… I remember when I was a boy I use to love to watch her cook, the smells and sounds of her kitchen made me feel at home. That’s why I feel close to her when I cook.

I remember you mentioning that your father rushed you off to Le Cordon Bleu in London after you were considering the army, but does cooking run in the family?

Ha ha it was actually the marines… and yup all my aunties and uncles can hold their own in the kitchen. We are a family of critics and foodies.

Has it always been a passion?  Or did you discover it somewhere along the way?

I can truly say that it is a passion I always knew that I would end up in the kitchen, but what I realized along the way was how much I love it!

Who is your favorite chef and what is your favorite restaurant?

Wow, this is a tough question! There are so many great chefs and great restos out there it hard to pick just one.  But I do admire Thomas Keller and his resto the French Laundry.

As a Cali guy...

Haha you have to bust my chops huh, for being a Cali guy!

To be fair, in front of the journos at the AFC workshop, you busted my chops for being a New Yorker! 
...Any thoughts on the Slow Food "movement", figures like Alice Waters, or sustainable farming?

I am all for it.  I feel that it should be the way we go with everything that we do from restaurant use to personal consumption. Not trying to be a tree hugger or anything, but there a some fish that I use to catch and eat when I was a boy, and now due to over fishing and pollution you cannot catch the fish anymore.  And if you do I don’t dare eat it.  I can’t say where I would fish so I don’t offend anyone hehe… but now my son will never know what the fish tasted like. I find it real sad.

How's your Tagalog?

Great question, it is not too bad. I have had time to practice on some local shows… for Tablescapes I normally speak in English. But when I do local TV shows I am forced to speak in Tagalog. At first I was not the best but now I can hold my own.

What's the name of your upcoming restaurants in Manila and California?

The name is Chef’s Table by Chef Bruce.  Simple.  No plans of opening one up in California yet. Going to start off with Manila first… if that goes well why not!

Where and when will we be able to find it?  Is it comfort Filipino food or are you putting a personal twist on it?

The one in Manila will be in the area that we call Global City, and yes it will be modern comfort food.

In one of your bios, it mentions that you enjoy online games and kickboxing when you're not in the kitchen.  What online games are you into at the moment? (food&travel blog, I know, but I like my games too)

It all started with Counter Strike… now I don’t play CS, but I still love the first person shooters like Modern Warfare 2.  When I have a rough day at work, I play a quick 1 hour and rack up the kills.  I also play Rising Force Online, it’s not as fast as MW2 but it’s fun when you have to team up and strategize on how you can win the battle.  But ya’ gaming helps give the escape from reality since I can’t always take a day off.  I don’t have time to rest my brain, but at least an hour of pure ownage can give you the energy to keep going…  That should be a slogan or something! Haha

Watch Chef Bruce Lim every Thursday 9:30pm

 Asian Food Channel

Tablescapes: Life on a Plate

"New Season on AFC: 18 March-4 June 2010.  Tablescapes returns to Asian Food Channel with a new season of this one-of-a-kind culinary and travel adventure programme.  

Journey with Chef Bruce Lim and the lovely Angel Aquino across the many and magically varied islands of the Philippines.  Indulge in gastronomical delights while basking in the gorgeous backdrops and get a view and taste of the Philippines like never before."

More on Salt and our Health

I visited The Spartan Diet's blog to ask Amira Elgan, co-creator of the The Spartan Diet ("The healthiest diet in history") to share her thoughts on the NYT article and about salt in our diet.  She explains healthy eating with salt:

Real salt (sea salt with trace minerals) is a healthy and necessary part of the human diet. 

The problems are that 1) most salt people eat isn't healthy salt; and 2) processed and prepared foods and restaurants foods radically over-salt things. 

Our advice is to never eat processed prepared foods, and eat at restaurants as little as possible. At home, salt things conservatively to taste, and you'll get about the right amount of salt. 

Endurance runners and other athletes need more, but that's a special case that we devote some attention to in our upcoming book. 

See here for a related post by The Spartan Diet on Processed Foods: The good, bad, and ugly.

Is Salt the Enemy?

The latest fad in health paranoia: SALT.

As high blood pressure, diabetes, hypertension and obesity among Americans are still on the rise, respected and powerful figures such as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and First Lady Michelle Obama have made it known that they're on the anti-sodium bandwagon.  Many health advocates point to salt as a main culprit and there are cries to reclassify salt as a regulated food additive rather than leaving it as a harmless common kitchen ingredient.

But is salt the real enemy?  Used since ancient times as a way to preserve meat, salt has been around for centuries before problems like hypertension ever became a concern.  The F.D.A is looking to significantly decrease salt content in the products of giant processed food corporations such as PepsiCo, Kellogg, Campbell, Oscar Meyer and ConAgra.  Such regulations would evaporate a big chunk of sales, since salt is such a crucial element in processed foods.  Besides the products losing any palatable taste or texture, replacing salt with other alternatives would greatly increase food costs for the average consumer.

Personally, I'm willing to shell out the extra bucks for healthier processed foods and the food giants should be making a move in the direction of fresher, greener ingredients anyway, but I stand firm that salt shall remain in my diet (how could it not?).  The average American should be eating less and simply balancing out their diet beyond packaged goods.  As Gabriella Petrick (author of the forthcoming Industrializing Taste: Food Processing and the Transformation of the American Diet) once told me,

There might be some slight benefit [to organic food], but it's not an either or.  Ultimately those issues depends on what the individual puts inside of their body and the particular food choices they make.  Say there was an all organic McDonalds.  I could go to McDonalds and order all organic--that's not necessarily going to protect me from all of these dietary issues just because it's organic. (while the quote is about organic foods, context still applies. See this videoclip for some of her interesting insights.)   

All this finger pointing at sugar, fats, salts, still has yet to prove to be of any real merit.  Yes, they are linked to diseases, but all of these FDA ingredient-specific regulations are for naught as America grows fatter and unhealthier by the day.  I'm with ConAgra on this one:

ConAgra, whose brands include Chef Boyardee and Orville Redenbacher, made a different argument to the panel. It submitted a study it commissioned that asserted that far more savings in health care costs — about $58 billion — could be generated if people simply cut 100 calories from their daily diets than if they consumed less salt. (New York Times)

Salt is a wonderful and key component to great cuisine.  If you think the purpose of salt is to only make things saltier, think again!  Salt is also used in baked goods (bread will never be the same without it) and sweets as a way to balance or bring out flavors and can completely change the texture of food.   Just remember, as mommy always says, everything in moderation. 

See here for "The Hard Sell on Salt" (New York Times).